Eight Children, Parent Feared Dead in Large Kentucky Fire

Share

Eight children and a parent from a single family are believed to have been killed after a large fire ripped through a Muhlenberg County, Ky., home on Thursday morning.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Stuart Recke revealed that six individuals from an 11-member family were confirmed dead in the incident, but three more may have likely been killed too.

"The other three at the present time, we're looking for their remains," Recke said, according to NBC News. Two parents and nine children were reportedly at the home when the fire department was called around 2 a.m. on Thursday. But by the time the firefighters arrived, the house was "fully engulfed." Only one parent and a child managed to escape, and were flown to a hospital in Nashville, Tenn.

CNN reported that the survivors were the father, 36-year-old Chad J. Watson, and an 11-year-old child, who are being treated for severe burns. Muhlenberg County Coroner Tony Armour noted that the children who died are believed to be in the ages of 4 to 15.

"As I'm facing the house, the right side of the house is basically gone," Recke described, noting that the fire was put out within an hour.

News Channel 5 reported that Chief Darren Harvey with the Greenville Fire Department confirmed that multiple fire crews, as well as police, were sent to the scene of the fire.

The neighborhood lies about 150 miles southwest of Louisville, but no other property has been damaged, according to reports. Investigators are looking into what caused the fire, but so far they have said there is no reason to believe it to be suspicious.